1. Approach with Kindness
On April 12th gyms are set to re-open and many of us have spent the majority of lockdown living a very sedentary lifestyle. Even if you are someone that enjoys regular exercise and outdoor activity, we’ve seen a general decline in levels of movement. First of all I want to say, that this is NORMAL. If we’ve been following social distancing rules, it’s just hard to get in the steps that you might have otherwise built up when there weren’t rules in place.
You have survived a pandemic. You have been effected by it, one way or another and in varying degrees but no one has escaped the direct and indirect effects. So go easy on yourself. Now is not the time to berate yourself or your body for its changed shape and size. Speak kindly to yourself and with compassion, show some understanding to yourself and what you have been through over the past year. There’s been a lot of pressure and focus on staying safe, there is no need to approach your emerging desires to be fitter with berating yourself. Judgement including of oneself and of one’s own body is never a positive and long lasting motivator and if it is, it’s unlikely to be a psychologically healthy one. Applaud yourself not just for making it this far but for even having the inkling of motivation and desire to change yourself for the better.
2. Approach with Positive Aims
Dream big, what would you LOVE to be able to do? For me it’s to 1) Create an aerial hoop performance piece, 2) Take up Pole Dancing and 3) Be fit enough to take part in a Tribal Clash competition or something similar. This is Very ambitious given where my current fitness and training is right now as well as the circumstances of lockdown but it’s important to give oneself permission to dream big and say out loud what we want for our lives and our bodies. I’ve not yet given myself a time frame because if I did, it would give me crippling expectation anxiety and I probably would give up. When I’m ready I can break each aim/dream, into manageable tasks. I think It’s better to focus on aims that are fitness focussed and state what you want to be able to do with your body as opposed to aims that focus on changing the look of your body and its size or shape, I don’t think it’s particularly kind to ourselves and an aim built on self-loathing isn’t the healthiest of motivational tools. Your body will change anyway when you start doing more exercise and concentrating on where you’re body isn’t as opposed to where you want to be isn’t a good place to start. It’s the difference between creating a positive aim and a negative aim. Choosing aims that you can aspire to are more effective than aims that insult where you are right now. You’ve already acknowledged you want change by the fact you are writing a bunch of aims!
3. Approach with Patience
If there’s anything we’ve learnt about living through a pandemic, it’s that …IT ALL MIGHT CHANGE. The announcement about the gyms re-opening on the 12th, could change. So it’s best not to have fixed expectations at this time and an over-reliance on external circumstances, but I’m sure you have already learnt this the hard way. It’s not just about being patient with the circumstances, it’s about being patient with oneself in the circumstances. If you are slow to find the motivation and get to the fitness point that you were once at, it’s ok. You are trying. Applaud yourself for what you achieve and what you are doing. ‘It All Adds Up’ that’s the slogan from the NHS’s Better Health England and its true. So often what keeps us fit are the unsung heroes of walking/cycling to work each day, or maintaining a garden regularly, DIY, 15minute daily workouts, it’s the small things done regularly that build up over time.
You are in Control
Remember, YOU can adjust your aims/dreams at any time because YOU set them. There is no such thing as the aims police or the dreams police, other than your own internal critic and you don’t have to listen to it. As you progress and gain confidence in what you achieve you can raise the bar, for example, from fitness 2-3 times a week to 4-5 times, it’s about choosing what you know you can sustain with your specific lifestyle. Also if things come up, such as change of job, bereavement, illness, etc. It’s ok! You can come back to it. Your dreams, goals and aspirations aren’t going anywhere, they also change as we change and that’s ok too. So… if you’ve got positive aims or dreams for your body, write them down and let me know what they are. I’d love to hear them!
(Here is a picture of some skinny attractive girls to inspire you).
Comments